Dota 2 just added support for Vulkan, an open DirectX 12 rival - stovallhadvieterell

The Vulkan graphics API designed as an clear rival to Microsoft's DirectX 12 just added another fledge to its detonating device, and boy, IT's a doozy.

Valve recently added a Vulkan beta update to Dota 2,the ship's company's massively popular multiplayer online battle stadium (MOBA) game, a.k.a. long and away the about-played game on Steam. Anyone interested in trying out Vulkan will find it in the stake's DLC section happening Steam, as first noticed by Tom's Hardware.

Getting Vulkan to power Dota 2 isn't as simple as clicking a boxwood. The graphics API has to be enabled with the -vulkan flag in the set in motion options, and you also have to beat obviate DirectX and OpenGL flags if you see them. Valve also says you have to be running the Steam Client Beta—Valve has instructions on how to do that—to arrive the Vulkan version of the Steam Overlay.

Vulkan's still in beta mode with Dota 2 sol there are a few known issues. Valve says you may consider some runty stuttering on inauguration related to a shader caching issue, and Linux players with Nvidia graphics cards may realise some screen tearing—even if VSync is overturned on.

The story behind the story: Equal though adding it to Dota 2 is a big step, information technology's knotty to read too much into Vulkan's arrival on the stake. Valve has a sunny interest in promoting Vulkan arsenic information technology helps the fellowship's Steam Machines effort. Right instantly, Microsoft's Windows-only DirectX is the predominant artwork API while other platforms are cursed the aging OpenGL—of which Vulkan is the successor. Much Vulkan adoption means the potential for more games to come to the Linux-powered Steam Machines.

The real psychometric test is when third-party game developers start adding Vulkan support to their PC games. We may start to see that sooner rather than ulterior. Earliest in May, Nvidia released a six-minute clip of the ID Software's Doom operative with the Vulkan API and looking selfsame dazzling. Doom, which launched on May 13, is expected to add affirm for Vulkan to the PC version in the coming weeks, piece Talos Principle, unmatchable of the best PC games of 2014, added Vulkan support months ago.

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Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has ne'er met a tech subject he didn't like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he's not natural covering the newsworthiness he's working on how-to tips for PC users, operating room tuning his eGPU setup.